Of Olympian Crystals And Golden Apples
by D.M.A.S
Summary: ... well Robin's soul is now gone and ceased to exist.. at least according to Hades. But what if there was a way to actually fix this?.. And also how to tell Roland his dad won't come back home, ever. Well read to find out. This will have a happy ending, I promise. OUTLAW QUEEN, HOODMILLS FAMILY all the way. SnowQueen friendship and GoldenQueen friendship. Might rate that M later
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** Sadly not my characters.. otherwise you'd see this on TV .. or well something else in the first place._  
 _ **AN:** I apologise for not updating my multichapters in quite a while. But I've moved countries and also met Sean  & Lana and currently it's also kind of hard to get into writing mode... So I hope I'll be able to update them soon. Haven't forgotten about you guys. *mwah*_  
 _Thank you so much for reading._  
 _I'd love feedback for this piece. Might carry it on because I'm simply still not over what happend on the latest episode on TV._

 _Well I'll let you read now. This is my way of trying to 'fix it'._

* * *

 _ **Of Olympian Crystals And Golden Apples**_

She was walking down the streets of Storybrooke not even caring where she was going to go to though. Tears had been streaming down her face and to be honest she didn't even know how her body was manageing to stay upright and walking.

She had just lost her soulmate to nothingness. Not only did he die but his soul ceased to exist.

There was no hope for an afterlife for him. Just pure nothingness. He was gone. Gone like he never even existed.  
Gone because he threw himself in front of her. It should have been her who died. Not him. Never him. He didn't deserve such a fate. He did not do anything wrong.

She on the other hand had a long list of things to blame herself for. Of things people blamed her for. And they were right. She had been a monster. Had killed many people and manipulated them. Sure in the last few years she had been trying to redeem herself. Mostly with the help of Henry and him. Him. Robin.

Robin who was now dead and gone.

Tinker Bell's words from ages ago ringing in her ears, _„you didn't just ruin your life. You ruined **his**."_

Somehow her feet had managed to carry her back to Mifflin Street. She would be home soon. Home. The place where Henry and Roland would be waiting for her with Snow and David. _Home_ the word that felt so wrong to use now.

 _Roland_. How on earth was she going to tell Roland that his dad was now lost to him _forever?_ They literally had just gotten back from the Underworld. They had only managed to meet briefly earlier. For about half an hour and an ice cream before she and Robin had left for her office.

Her office that was now not only the place they had their first date at but also the place he took his last breath in.

She hadn't even realised that new tears began falling from her eyes. She would be there soon. A few more steps and then she was already standing in front of her own door.

She took one deep breath. And another. And then she realised that it didn't help anything at all. And it probably wouldn't, ever. But she had to go in. Had to tell them.

For a brief second she was thinking about just poofing herself to her vault and drinking herself into unconscioness. But as soon as the thought hit her it was gone again. She had to take care of the kids. Had to tell them.

They were everything to Robin.  
So she had to do this, for him.

And for the first time in forever Regina Mills stood in front of her own house and rang the door bell.

* * *

A few streets away in his pawnshop someone was looking for a certain something that he hadn't touched in decades.  
It had never been his intention to get Robin killed. _Never._

As unbelieavble as it seemed to be he wanted Regina to be happy. She didn't deserve this. Any of this. Never had. And he himself had realised that years ago. Maybe too late but he wanted to make up for it. He had been honest that time he told her that he wanted her to be happy as Robin and Zelena were leaving Storybrooke. He hadn't known about Zelena back then. Hadn't.

Blamed himself for not seeing this through earlier. Blamed himself for once again somehow screwing Regina over.  
But this he did not want for her. Never did. Even though he just took Robin's heart he never wanted to use it. He had planned to trick Hades all along and it had worked. He had given Robin his heart back and looking back now somehow he wished he hadn't because then for sure this right now would be so much easier.

Because right now he had only one last option to help Robin to get back to what he deserved and that was to be reunited with the woman he loved more than he loved himself or his own life, and to see his children grow up.

Finally he found the object he was looking for. It was exactly as he remembered it from when he got it a long time ago. Not even dust had settled on this golden apple. It was as shiny as ever. Looked like it was new even.

He took a deep breath. There were some people or more like Gods that even a Dark One was scared to face again.  
But he was doing it. For Regina and for that thief that loved her with all his heart and soul. He simply did not deserve such a fate.

He put the apple on a table. A few candles around it. And then took a little bit of pixie dust that he still had left from one of the fairies in his hand and blew it over the golden apple.

It took a moment until she appeared out of a cloud of red, almost pink smoke.

„Ah I see, the Dark One hasn't aged a day since I last saw him. But let's cut to the point Rumple, what is it that you of all people called me upon?"

He smirked, „that my dearest Aphrodite, is a matter that I think is very much so in both of our interests."

„Now shoot, what is it? Are you having trouble in paradise? Because quite frankly that's the last thing I'd be willing to help you with."

Rumple shook his head, „nothing of the sort. Not really. It's not a personal matter for me. You know there's this outlaw.-"

„Since when does the Dark One care about outlaws?"

„Would you let me finish?"

„Please go ahead, I don't have all day."

„Well you see. The poor man has two young children. And one older one who by now pretty much looks up to him as a father figure because his own dad, my son, left this earth way too soon. Well, he also has a soulmate and well your uncle Hades just about earlier decided to not only take that man's life but also estinguish his soul forever with the help of the Olympian Crystal."

„And now you want to bring him back?"

Rumple nodded, „very much so. He doesn't deserve this. And I know his soulmate used to be the Evil Queen. But she doesn't deserve such a fate either. She has lost love before. She has done a lot of terrible things but her mother and me are to blame for a lot of these. And I'm not saying she is free of blame but she has been trying to redeem herself through recent years and she became a better person. So would you please try to help them?"

„Well it's not every day the Dark One is begging you for something. But alas you're not doing this for yourself and I have to admit that I've kind of have started to like these two mortals being together, I will try everything I can. You don't by any chance have a piece of that man's crumpled soul left or a piece of the crystal?"

„Sure, I do", Rumple said and gave the remaining ashes of Robin's soul to Aphrodite along with the piece of the crystal.

„Marvelous", she said, „I think we might actually be able to send him back. But I need to visit dad first to do that. It should be possible though. I'll try my may I ask what happened to my dearest uncle?"

„He, well, Hades 'died'"

That was when she laughed, „he's a God. He is unable to die."

„Well through true love he got his heart back. Came to this world and then he died."

She was looking more serious now, „did no one ever tell you mortals that Gods can't die? The only thing that that did was sending him straight back to the Underworld. Where he by the way if you ask me, belongs for all eternity."

„Thank you for trying."

„I'll take my leave now", she said smiling, „I shall be back in a few days.

To make sure this works out though, don't tell anyone about our talk or plan. Most importantly don't tell Regina. She has to let go of his body and soul like she would carry on without him. I know that sounds hard and harsh and unfair. But in order to bring him back she has to be able to carry on with her life. At least for a few days, that is. I'll be back soon, _Dark One._ "

„Thank you so much", Rumple said watching her disappear the same way she had arrived.

* * *

And at the same time, a few streets away a heartbroken Regina Mills, waited for someone to open up the door to her own house. She refused to call it home from now on because home is where the heart is at and right now. Right now that was anywhere but here.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN:** Thank you so much for all the feeback, favs and follows. I'm really glad you like the idea and hope you like where this is going._  
 _Hopefully I can do the characters justice... I'm trying._

 _ **As for the characters I'm bringing in**... at the **end of this chapter** I'll post a little bit of **info** about them from wikipedia. Just so you have a rough idea if you don't know them._  
 _You can quickly go there reading a name... I just don't want to post it in the beginning because it might or might not spoil a few things and some readers may be already familiar with the characters therefore.. If I bring a new character in Info about the character will be at the end of the chapter... I'll put the basics so you don't have to google and read all of wikipedia ... ^^ Hope that helps._

Also Greek Gods kind of had a thing for spying on mortals and rooting for some or messing with them. Like they didn't have television so they watched mortals... just as a side note. :P

 _So here's chapter 2 then. And let me know if you like it. :)_

* * *

Hephaestus was sitting at his kitchen table waiting impatiently for his wife to return home so they could eat dinner.

A few seconds later Aphrodite appeared next to him in a cloud of red, pinkish smoke walking towards the kitchen counter and placing the items on it, „sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

„It's alright, love", her husband said, waving his hand, instantly setting the table, including food, for dinner, „care to tell me where you went this time and what you're going to do with that crap?"

She turned around then and walked to the table to sit down opposite her husband, „Thanks for cooking."

„Ah well, you know I love your cooking skills a lot more but I'm just way too hungry."

„Don't worry, but we should probably keep track of all this 'fast food' we've been eating recently.  
Anyway as for all that 'crap'", she said then, „the Dark One summoned me down to earth and told me he needs my help."

„What could that guy possibly need your help with? As far as I've seen he's managed to get himself out of his miseries just fine."

„That's what I asked him as well. But you see, somehow he has a soft spot for the former Evil Queen."

„Oh does he now?"

„Not like that. He just genuinely feels sorry for her and wants to help her get her happy ending and although her happy ending isn't quite defined or bound to certain people a huge part of her happy ending has been taken from her earlier."

„What happend? Pardon for asking but I haven't been following these mortals' lives as much as you have."

„Well uncle Hades managed to leave the Underworld"

„Oh dear"

„Don't worry, he's already back there. But as I was saying he left the Underworld for a bit and in that amount of time he managed to not only kill Robin Hood but end his possibility of an afterlife all the same by using that stupid Crystal on him. Initially trying to kill Regina but her soulmate jumped in front of her."

Suddenly realisation hit Hephaestus, „we are not talking about THE Robin are we? The man with the lion tattoo?"

She nodded.

And her husband let out an angry sigh, „I'll personally kill Hades for that one. I will. Even if I can't, he will pay for all eternity for that. He can't just send my favourite mortal into nothingness and not pay for it"

Not it was Aphrodite's turn to be surprised, „care to tell me why YOU care so much about this mortal?"

„I'll tell you the whole story another day. But to shorten it. He helped me once. And in return he had earned my gratefulness for all eternity."

„I could have seen that coming for all things it's a lion tattoo. Of course it has something to do with you. And let me guess his archery skills are-"

„Devine, yes", he cut her off.

„So I take it, you're going to help me then?", she asked him.

„Despite our current differences, yes wife, I'll help you with that. Let's go and visit your father."

„Now?"

„Well there's no time to lose, is there?"

* * *

Meanwhile in Storybrooke Regina was impatiently waiting for someone to open the front door. It only took a few moments until a surprised Snow openend the door but it felt like an eternity and then all of a sudden time seemed to stand still before almost fast forwarding.

„Regina?", Snow asked, „what? Where's Robin? What's wrong?"

„I, he", Regina tried but somehow couldn't manage to word a proper sentence, „where are the kids?"

„Playing with David in Henry's room", Snow said hugging Regina tight. She knew there was something that was most definitley not right even though Regina hadn't said anything at all yet.

Regina didn't really know how but Snow had somehow managed to drag her over into her kitchen and she found herself sitting on a chair, „ _he's gone_ ", was all she managed to say.

„Gone where?", Snow asked, „what happened? We need to get him back. Where did he go?"

Regina sighed, looking directly at Snow, „he's gone. Hades' ended him. Not killed, ended him. There's not even an after life he has. Nothing."

That had left the ever so hopeful Princess speechless, almost, „I'm so sorry. But there has to be something we can do. There has to be a way to-"

„There isn't", Regina said, „he's gone. And I can feel it. Or rather I can feel the absence of his soul. He's gone forever and it should have been me."

„Don't Regina", Snow said, „don't say that. Robin wouldn't have wanted you to do that."

„I, I know. And I have to tell the kids. How do I tell them?", she asked and if on cue Henry, Roland and David chose that moment to walk into the room.

„Tell us what?", Roland asked stopping short in front of Regina and eyeing her face suspiciously. Even the littlest Merry Man could tell that his Gina had been crying.

Regina took both of Roland's hands in hers sliding from the chair she had been sitting on so she was now kneeling in front of him, „do you remember how daddy and me have been telling you that your mum is up there and would always look out for you?"

Roland didn't understand yet where Regina was going with this. But someone else did.

„Noooooooo!", Henry shouted, briefly looking at his mother's face looking for confirmation of what he already knew, before running out of the kitchen and upstairs, making it sound like a hord of Elephants was running across the floor. David following him.

Roland was looking confused at Regina until she continued, „well your daddy is up there as well now."

„This isn't fair", Roland said as tears began streaming down his face.

Regina pulled him into her arms as tears began rolling down her own cheeks again, „no it isn't fair. It isn't. But your daddy will always be looking out for you." She simply couldn't tell Roland that Robin wouldn't even be able to do that. She would tell Henry about it, later. But Roland had lost both of his parents now and she simply couldn't tell him.

„But I want daddy here with me and you and Henry and my sister and John and everyone", Roland mumbled sobbing into Regina's coat.

„Me too", she said, hugging him even tighter to her, „me too."

* * *

 _Character Wiki:_

 _ **Hephaestus** crafted much of the magnificent equipment of the gods, and almost any finely-wrought metalwork imbued with powers that appears in Greek myth is said to have been forged by Hephaestus. He designed Hermes' winged helmet and sandals, the Aegis breastplate, Aphrodite's famed girdle, Agamemnon's staff of office, Achilles' armor, Heracles' bronze clappers, Helios' chariot, the shoulder of Pelops, and Eros' bow and arrows. In later accounts, Hephaestus worked with the help of the chthonic Cyclopes—among them his assistants in the forge, Brontes, Steropes and Pyracmon._

 _Being a skilled blacksmith, Hephaestus created all the thrones in the Palace of Olympus._

 _The Greek myths and the Homeric poems sanctified in stories that Hephaestus had a special power to produce motion. He made the golden and silver lions and dogs at the entrance of the palace of Alkinoos in such a way that they could bite the invaders. The Greeks maintained in their civilization an animistic idea that statues are in some sense alive. This kind of art and the animistic belief goes back to the Minoan period, when Daedalus, the builder of the labyrinth made images which moved of their own accord._

 _According to most versions, Hephaestus's consort is Aphrodite, who is unfaithful to Hephaestus with a number of gods and mortals._

 _That much for the **Golden Apple** from last chapter:_

 _The gods are all invited to the marriage of Peleus and Thetis (the eventual parents of Achilles), except Eris, goddess of discord. In revenge, Eris makes a golden Apple of Discord inscribed kallistēi ("to the fairest one"), which she throws among the goddesses. Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena all claim it._

 _Zeus delegates the choice to a mortal, Paris. The goddesses offer him bribes. Hera offers him supreme power, and Athena offers him wisdom, fame, and glory in battle. Aphrodite offers him Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal woman in the world, as a wife. As the goddess of desire, she causes Paris to become inflamed with desire for Helen at first sight, and he awards the Apple to her. Helen is already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. The other two goddesses are enraged by this, and through Helen's abduction by Paris, they bring about the Trojan War._


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN:** Thank you all for the lovely feedback. It really motivates me to write more. By God that isn't easy these days but I'm trying._  
 _Personally haven't watched the finale yet... and I don't know if I'll ever come around to watch it.. therefore no idead how canonlly or not this actually might or might not be .. tried to make it as reasonable as I could._  
 _It's unbetaed. I'm trying my best though._

 _And I hope you're alright with the events happening in this chapter. Keep on leaving feedback, please._

* * *

She can't remember much of what happened after on that day. Or even _days_. She does not know anymore how much time has passed.  
What she remembers is that Roland fell asleep in her arms that night. Sobbing. Sobbing that he does not want to lose her as well. That he fears he would and that he wouldn't let go of her ever because he loves her so much.

Loves her.

That had hit her like a brick. Never said out loud but of course he does. They did. That little dysfunctional family of hers _loved_ each other very much.

That brought her back not only to Robin but to Zelena as well. Their relationship had recently changed so much for the better and she was grateful for that. Somehow. This was all weird and messed up and she couldn't think straight right now anyway. And nothing made anything better at the moment.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't realise anything that was happening around her. Only as she heard a rather loud noise of china placed on a table she saw Zelena who took a seat opposite her.

„I'm sorry", Regina whispered, almost. Because that was the only thing she could come up with.

Zelena took her hand in hers, „what are you sorry for? I'm sorry, Regina. For everything that I have done to you and for the fact that Robin had to die because of that."

„You lost someone dear, as well", Regina said.

Zelena was silent and a few moments passed. Neither of them saying anything until Regina spoke again, „I really appreciate that you want to name the baby after Robin. But I don't", she stopped there for a moment, „think it's what Robin would have wanted her to be called."

„Did he tell you what he'd have wanted her to be named?", Zelena asked her sister.

„He was quite fond of our grandmother's name", Regina said and then realised that her sister didn't even know what she had been called, „Victoria. It's also my middle name. He liked the sound of it and its meaning. But I understand if you don't feel like -"

„It's perfect", Zelena smiled squeezing her sister's hand, „and I'd also like to ask something of you."

„Uhm yeah?"

„Would you help me raise her? I'm not good at all this and I'm new to it and honestly, I'm scared. And you're a wonderful mother, Regina. And quite frankly I need help. So..?"

„I'd love to", Regina said smiling a little bit.

„Rolaaaand!", John was hissing just as the littlest of Merry Men collided with Regina's leg.

„It's alright", Regina said as she pulled Roland up and over herself and half of the booth to place him next to her and opposite Zelena and little Victoria that Zelena was holding.

„Hey Lena, hey sissy", Roland said smiling a little at Zelena over the edge of the table.

„You want to know a little secret, Roland?", Zelena asked him.

„Yeeeees", Roland almost screamed.

„Henry", Zelena said as Henry appeared next to their table as well. Then she scooted over so he could sit next to her, „as I was saying your mum and me decided on a name for your sister, Roland."

„So what will it be?", Henry asked who was now curious as well.

„We'll name her after our grandmother. Victoria."

„Toria", Roland tried to repeat, „Tori."

Zelena was the first to notice it, „Regina, are you alright?"

It took her sister a moment to answer, „I", she began but stopped before continueing, „don't know."

„What's wrong?", Henry asked this time as he saw Regina closing her eyes and struggling to breathe properly.

„It hurts. It just hurts", Regina breathed out.

„Where does it hurt?", her sister asked her.

„Everywhere", Regina said, „I don't-", she stopped herself then. As suddenly as the pain had started it was gone again now.

„Better?", Henry asked.

„Yeah, it's gone. I don't know what it was though", Regina said not understanding it. To make it a bit more confusing now after the pain was gone again she was feeling not much but a little bit better than the last few days.

* * *

„So now what?", Aphrodite asked her farther nervously.

„Now we wait", Zeus said.

„Urgh I hate waiting", Hephaestus said rolling his eyes.

„How long do you think this will-", Aphrodite was about to ask Zeus but it was then that the soul they had put back into its former form started moving.  
They hadn't done it very often but they had resurrected souls before. The hardest part was to put the form back together. Which was also the first thing to do.  
After that was done you had to shock them back to _'life'_ with the murder weapon. Which they had done about two minutes ago and now they had to wait if it was working.

The two Gods had come straight to Zeus the day before and after hearing what had happened he had agreed on sending Robin back to earth. Or well trying to do that.  
So far they had spend almost two entire days on piecing the remains of the dust back together but it seemed to be worth it.

„Urgh", was the first thing they heard coming from Robin's soul.

Aphrodite was the first to speak, „can you hear us? Can you open your eyes?"

And that's what the bodyless version of Robin did, „Gina?", he asked, „where am I?"

„She's fine", Zeus said to him, „you're the one who isn't. You're at the Olymp. But don't worry we have every intention to send you back."

That somehow got the soul's full attention, „ _back?_ And why does my body look so blue?"

„You've", Hephaestus said, „died. And Hades did not just kill you but he 'killed' your soul as well. And this here is not your actual body. That one is down there still. Probably six feet under by now. So this blue glowing thing is, well it's your soul and for now we need to get that back into proper shape and then we can send you back to your loved ones."

„Why would you do that?", the question surprised everyone.

„You don't deserve to be here, yet and not in this way anyway. Also your children deserve their farther with them and then there's also Regina."

Robin was trying to fight it but he felt tired.

„Close your eyes", Zeus said, „rest."

It only took a few more seconds until he was asleep.

„His progress is amazing", Zeus said turning back to the other two Gods, „I think it won't take long until we can send him back."

„Do you mind if I give him a gift before he goes back?", Hephaestus asked.

„What did you have in mind?"

„You know that bow that I crafted for Eros a while ago? He rarely uses it and I just thought maybe-"

„Sure", Zeus cut off his rambling and smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

_**AN:**_ Thank you everyone who read and reviewed and faved this story so far. You guys really keep me going. Thank you so much. I'm glad you all enjoyed reading it so far and I hope you're still with me. :)  
Please keep the reviews up. I'm really happy you liked the way I am writing the Gods... this is so far really fun to me and I'm trying to give them justice.  
Hope that's still the case.  
Love you all. And therefore I thought, I'd finally give you a new chapter. =)... so here we go.

 ** _Disclaimer:_** Nah, I still don't own them. Alas the mistakes.. yeah the mistakes are mine.

* * *

 ** _Chapter 4_**

„So you said in order to make this work Regina needs to let him go completely", Hephaestus more stated than asked.

„Yes", was all his wife said to that.

„How do we know that she's ready. I mean that she really let him go?"

„Well I guess there's only one way to actually be entirely sure of it", she said, „we have to go down there and check up on her. I can't really be sure from up here. Well I tried spying on them with mirrors earlier, the usual but to be absolutely certain I need to go down there and see for myself."

„Then let's go."

* * *

After annoucing to the boys what Victoria would be named, Regina had excused herself for a little while to head back to the graveyard.  
It was unreal. Killian had just come back from the underworld after they had spent weeks down there to get him back up here and now Robin was gone, for good.

She knew he wanted her to protect the children, be there for them, raise them and be happy again. But right now she was wondering how she was going to be able to do that.  
He was gone. And that had clearly left a void in her. She had felt it. The moment his soul had ceased to exist she had felt it.

But then there was that awkward feeling from earlier that she couldn't place. Still can't.  
It had been weird. Like her whole body was suddenly burning and then nothing. Nothing but it felt a lot more peaceful than before. Almost as in these rare moments she had spent with her soulmate. Almost as the time they had spent dancing at Arthur's castle. Not quite. But almost.  
Almost as if he was alive again. But that couldn't be. That wasn't real. Most likely her mind was just playing tricks with her.

Standing in front of his head stone, staring at it, it reminded her of Daniel's. Whose underworld grave she had recently vistited. Daniel who had moved on. Robin would never. Could never move on. Wasn't even stuck in the underworld because there was no after life for him. He was just gone and she had to accept that. Live with it.  
She took a deep breath.  
 _This was the new reality._

„ _Always_ ", she said most quietly. Almost whispering the word.

He would have wanted her to be there for the children. And for now she would concentrate on that, mostly. „ _Children come first_ ", was what she had told him back then and gladly they could agree on that.

She'd have to talk to John soon and hopefully would get him to agree that Roland could stay with her because that is what he wanted and it was also what Robin would have wanted. And she wouldn't know either what she would do without her little knight.

Of course she always had Henry. But her prince was a teenager now and more or less at Emma's or on his own adventures and she just loved Roland too much to let him go. She loved her boys equally and with the new addition of Victoria in her life she could really need Roland there as well and she wanted that, more than anything.

Raising three children would not be walk in the park but she'd gladly do it. Had never wanted anything more than her own family. Even though maybe the circumstances were different now than she had ever imagined but she didn't love them any less.  
Her three little musketeers. And no matter how much Henry would argue that he was almost a grown up now he would always be her little prince.

She was staring another few moments at the words etched into the stone facing her. The soil that was seperating her from it was still looking freshly touched and wet. It smelled of mud, after-rain grass, pine trees and … _forest_.

As she was turning around about to go back to Granny's where Zelena and the children would be waiting for her she spotted a couple dressed in black, not too far away from her looking her way.  
She walked over to them as she couldn't recall ever seeing the couple before.

„We're so sorry", was what the man said to her before she even had a chance to say anything.

„Thank you", Regina said. Then added after a moment, „did you know him? I mean, I don't want to be rude, it's just I've never seen you before and I was wondering."

The woman gave her a little smile but it was again the man's turn to speak, „my friends call me Heph, so please go along with that. Robin and me met on a journey, a long time ago in the Enchanted Forest. We came here with the last curse and sadly only found out about him being here as well a few weeks ago."  
It wasn't a lie. Not entirely. Of course they had known of his existence here all along, though.

„I'm sorry to hear that", Regina said genuinely feeling sorry for causing people to lose friends and family because of the decisions she had made in her past.

Hephaestus smiled a little at her, „don't be. I'm really only sorry that he had to endure such an abrupt end to the life he still had waiting in front of him to be lived. And I'm sorry for his family and especially his little brave boy who lost so much in his life already. I hope he will be alright, someday."

„I'll be trying my best", Regina said.

„Oh you already are, I don't doubt that", the woman spoke for the first time now, „I've seen you around town a couple of times with the little one. You have the touch of a mother. And you're wonderful with him."

„Thank you", Regina said after a few moments.

„Would you ladies mind giving me a few moments alone with him?", Hephaestus asked.

„No of course not, sure", Regina said, „why don't we wait inside Granny's and maybe have a coffee?"

Aphrodite nodded, „fine with me" and then the two women walked towards the diner that wasn't too far away from the graveyard.

„I know not everyone likes you in this town Madam Mayor, but you've really come so far from what I've witnessed in the last year compared to what I've seen of you before the curse. And these next few days and weeks might be hard on you but I know you are a stong woman, you can get through this and if ever you need anyone to talk to, and I do know sometimes it's quite good to talk to someone who isn't that close to you, feel free to let me know."

„Thank you", Regina said, „that's really kind of you. And I might actually take you up on that offer."

Regina had not talked much to the strangers yet but so far somehow it felt soothing to talk to someone who wasn't Snow, or David or her sister. Of course it was wonderful to talk to them and they really seemed to care about her and the kids as well but for once it was nice to talk to someone who did not seem to know every little detail about her life. Someone who wasn't a therapist and also did not judge her. It really felt refreshing.

Aphrodite was really pleased with how good Regina was coping so far. Of course Regina wasn't the person who would crumble down. Well the Queen wasn't the person who would. Regina was more likely a person who could crumble down now compared to the woman she had been ages ago. And in a situation like this everyone was allowed to fall to pieces.  
This was a mess and no one should ever have to endure this.  
Therefore she was really impressed with the strong woman who was walking beside her. Of course part of this was a facade.

Aphrodite was sure that Regina somehow wanted nothing more than to probably cry herself to sleep right now.  
But she didn't do that. Instead she was here. Talking to a ' _stranger_ ' about her soulmate and his kids. Which couldn't be easy right now.  
A small smile crept on Aphrodite's lips, this woman truely deserved to have her soulmate back in her life and she herself would try anything in her power to ensure that was going to happen.

* * *

Meanwhile her husband was now left alone on an empty graveyard. Good thing the soil still looked freshly touched so this made his task a lot easier for him.  
It looked quite weird what he was doing as he raised his right hand just above the soil and said soil parted both ways for him. Basically digging itself up above ground level so that after a few moments Robin's coffin was visible.

A hand movement later and it opened. Hephaestus almost laughed at the body of Robin. He looked so weird all dressed up in a smoking. Not weird in a bad way. Just not really like the man he knew.  
„Time to get you out of there, mate", he whispered before making Robin's body float up by moving his left hand.  
A moment later Robin's body was floating next to him whilst he was moving his right hand around the coffin and soil to put everything back in place.

A few moments later Hephaestus left the grave towards the Mill's family vault with Robin's body floating beside him.

Of course he knew that Regina had magic and very well knew how to use it. Also his wife had warned him before as well that her vault was protected by it.  
But he wouldn't be a God if he couldn't undo it or find a way to walk around her spells.  
So a few minutes later he had opened the doors to Regina's vault. Had pushed aside the coffin to enter the hidden rooms of it and moved himself and Robin's body past the door hidden in the wall to lay Robin's body down on the bed.

Of course he could have just left Robin's body in the grave, six feet under. But honestly being buried alive or waking up like that after coming to life again was really not what he wished on anyone to have to endure.

Now he simply had to wait for his wife to return to the vault later. After talking to Regina earlier he was by now confident enough that she deserved to have Robin back. And that's what she would be getting. His soul just needed to rest a few more hours and then Zeus himself would send him back.

So for now there was nothing more he could do but wait.


End file.
